1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a software system modification, or a sensor monitor modification to an interactive gaming console, whereby the game console pauses its play of a game whenever an object is detected within an exclusion zone.
2. Background of the Prior Art
Modern gaming consoles that are connected to a television or other video output device rely on sensor monitors, which include sensor bars coupled with wireless handheld controllers or video cameras, for operation, have become extremely popular in the last few years. These gaming consoles, which include the Wii and the Wii U, made by Nintendo of Minami-ku Kyoto, Japan, the PlayStation 3 Move (and soon to be released PlayStation 4) made by Sony Corporation of Minato Tokyo, Japan, and the XBOX Kinect (and soon to be released XBOX One) made by Microsoft Corporation of Redmond, Wash., allow players to play various games, including fight games, tennis, golf, baseball, race car driving, aerobics, to name a few, without being physically connected to either the game console or the video output device. While each system, and other game consoles vary dramatically in the underlying technologies employed, the basic principle under which these modern gaming consoles operate is the same.
A sensor monitor is positioned on or near the video output device, usually centered along the screen of the video output device, with the sensor monitor capturing the actions of the player or players using the gaming console. The sensor monitor captures the movements each player as well as distance of each player with respect to the sensor monitor. These and other data captures are transmitted by the sensor monitor to the gaming controller which is running the software routine of the game being play, with the data being integrated by the software into the game.
Each gaming system uses a different sensor monitor technology. For example, the Wii systems rely on a bank of infrared LEDs that issue infrared beams, which beams are picked up by the Wii remotes, which are held by the users of the gaming console. The infrared information then sent via Bluetooth to the gaming console, which then processes the information received to determine the position of the Wii remotes in relation to the beams being transmitted from the sensor. The PlayStation 3 Move sensor uses a digital camera and microphone array. The camera uses computer vision and gesture recognition that are used in conjunction with information captured by inertia detectors on the remotes held by the gaming console users to detect position and motion of the players. The XBOX connect uses a camera, depth sensor and voice detector to determine player position and movement.
Each of these sophisticated systems allows play of very dynamic game play across a wide range of game genres. Each sensor operates in a range of distances between the players and the sensor. For example, the Wii is essentially effective in a range between about 3 feet and about 8 feet between the remote and the sensor. A controller being used beyond this range is less effective until the sensor monitor can no longer “see” the remote, which is also true for a sensor that operates too close to the sensor. When the remotes are not within the proper working range away from the sensor monitor, the onscreen actions tend to become jerky or erratic and cause much frustration for the players, especially to players who are unaware that that they are outside the proper operating range or even that there is an operating range, especially when the players stray too close to the sensor monitor. Dissatisfaction with the gaming console tends to result from this jerky and erratic game play. The other gaming systems also have proper operating ranges similar in order of magnitude to the Wii systems.
One of the problems experienced by many users of modern gaming consoles is the proximity creep that many players unwittingly undertake during game play. As the players become increasingly involved with the game being played, especially a multiplayer competitive game, the players tend to move ever closer to the video screen upon which the game is being displayed, as well as toward each other. This inward creep causes problems. If a player is unaware of his or her ever closer proximity to the sensor monitor, and thus the video output device, the player may inadvertently strike the video screen, either directly or with the remote, if the gaming system uses handheld remotes. This can cause injury to the player as well as damage to the remote, to the video display, to the entertainment center upon which the video display rests, and other possible collateral damage (i.e., a 60 inch television toppled off of an entertainment center has much potential to damage surrounding items, such as another player, the wall, flooring, vases, the cat, etc.). If the player does not hit the video display or structure upon which the video display rests during inward creep, the player may instead hit another player, possibly resulting in jury to one or both players.
A similar problem during game play is that by Murphy's Law, whenever a player is deeply immersed in his or her game and is just about to face a pivotal foe, time a maneuver just right, or make the money shot, someone walks in front of the video display device, blocks the player's view, and ruins the opportunity for victory. Not only does this cause frustration to the player having missed his or her golden opportunity, but can lead to arguments and possibly off screen “game” play (i.e., fights).
The gaming console manufacturers advise in their instruction manuals about the proper range of operation between the players and the sensor monitor and warn, both in the instruction manual and with an onscreen message before each game about the dangers of getting too close to the video output device and to other players, but in the heat of the game, many players simply fail to heed this important advice.
Accordingly, what is needed is a system whereby players are prevented from creeping too close to the gaming console's sensor monitor, and thus the video output device upon which the game is being played, in order to avoid the pitfalls and dangers associated with such proximity creep. Such a system must be able to quickly detect the fact that one or more players are too close to the sensor monitor and immediately take action to cease the inward proximity creep, all without ruining the game being played.